


Burdens: Prologue

by smitethedead



Series: Burdens [3]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 00:27:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13986534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smitethedead/pseuds/smitethedead
Summary: This is the prologue to the Burdens series. It is based on Trini's point of view.





	Burdens: Prologue

“Did you get the call?” Jason asked Trini.

Trini looked up at Jason as they were wrapping up their activities at the Juice Bar, “Yeah, but something doesn’t feel right about this Jase. We haven’t encountered Rita in a couple of months, yet she is randomly goading us to challenge her in the middle of the night? It doesn’t seem like her. It has to be a trap. Zordon should know better than that.”

“I know,” Jason let a deep sigh. Trini could tell it was unsettling Jason. “I’ve contacted the others and they agree to meet us there.” Jason paused before continuing to state, “I feel the same way Trini, but Zordon thinks we should investigate to make sure nothing worse comes of it.”

The pull in Trini’s stomach told her they should not go. It was their duty as rangers to stop Rita from causing more destruction and potentially obtaining the Zeo Crystals, though none of the rangers knew the location of the crystals. Not even Zordon had been able to locate them. Their current powers were being charged by crystals hailing from Zordon’s planet of Eltaar.

“Trini,” Jason placed a hand on her shoulder, “It’s going to be okay. As long as we are together, we will be able to stop Rita.”

She could not bring herself to say them, so Trini let the doubts release in the sigh she exhaled, “Alright, let’s go.”

\---------

The location caught Trini off guard: the Angel Grove cemetery. Her feeling of dread curled further inside of her as nausea began to surface. Looking around, she saw the other rangers appear one by one: Kim, Tommy, Billy, Zach. The six of them were ready to face anything thrown their way, but the circumstances did not add up together.

Alongside the others, six rangers walked cautiously through the grave site until they spotted a light in the distance. Fog began to set in as they etched closer to the light.

“Man, this seems like something straight from a horror movie,” Zach commented.

Tommy scoffed, “Yeah, you are telling me.”

“I don’t like this, guys. Something doesn’t feel right,” Kimberly acknowledged everyone’s feelings.

Jason spoke words of confidence, but Trini could tell it was muddled by his own uncertainty, “C’mon team. Stay close together and keep your eyes peeled. Rita is here somewhere.”

“Affirmative. Jason’s right; we have to remain cautious and vigilant. We have to determine Rita’s ploy,” Billy chimed in after Jason. Jason’s leadership had caused Billy’s confidence to grow tremendously in the short time they had been rangers.

Trini chose to stay silent as they slowly reached their target. Upon entering the warmth caused by the light emitting from a torch, everything around them became eerily silent. Trini’s senses kicked in as she looked around them. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary aside from the light, yet her suspicions continued to flare in her mind. Zordon’s information would not be inaccurate, but any conclusions Trini developed did not align.

Suddenly from the emptiness around them, an eerily familiar voiced hummed behind the group. Trini turned to gasp as Rita brazenly walked through the center of them, “Right on cue, ever so faithful are the puppets of Zordon.” She approached the fire and held a hand above the fire, “I always enjoyed the sensation of fire. It’s always a different sensation than other creatures display. Yes, it is warm, yet it tickles my skin and does not burn. I can smell the chemicals sparking off each other. I feel the energy crawling through me. It’s magnificent that I have this power, but it made me realize I was making the same foolish mistake as I did several millennia ago.”

Rita turned to face them, pausing briefly at each of their faces as Trini joined the others in their battle stances. Trini felt herself clasp her morpher. A smile grazed Rita’s lips though it slowly faded as she continued to glower at them.

“All of you look disgustingly similar. I see Zordon’s same determination in your faces.”

“What do you want Rita!?” Jason prompted from the witch.

“Patience my dear boy,” Rita commented as she gazed around them all again, “I wish to amend my mistakes and I realize I am only part of the equation. It has always been more than just myself traveling along in my conquest for power. I cannot eliminate my enemy completely; I must assimilate them. Tommy was my initial trial, but I grossly oversaw the flaw in my plan.”

Trini saw Tommy flinch at the reminder of the events of the birth of the green ranger.

“What’s your plan then, Rita? We already proved you can’t defeat us. We will always emerge victorious,” Jason boasted.

Rita laughed, “True as that may be, I am a patient woman. I just needed to be dealt the right hand and now…”

A thunderous chorus of laughter filled the area as Goldar, Scorpina, and the rest of Rita’s entourage appeared around them. They were surrounded. Yet, this was another battlefield and they knew the power they must call upon.

Jason rallied the warriors to their mission, “Rangers, it’s morphin’ time!”

One by one they morphed as flashes of light wrapped around each of Trini’s friends. The surge of strength fueled Trini into action. Trini summoned her daggers and lunged at Rita before feeling a force of energy collapse around her. The wave knocked her to the ground as she looked around the group. Everyone had demorphed except for Tommy. What was going on?

“…I have that hand,” Rita blasted Jason backward as he had joined Trini’s charge against the witch.

“You didn’t really think I was done with the green ranger did you? Of course it was accidental in its conception but,” Rita walked over to the green ranger before lifting him up the throat and ripping the power coin from its holster on the morpher.

“What? But how did you…” Billy began before being yanked up by Scorpina whom appeared behind the blue ranger. Scorpina held her blade against Billy’s throat.

“Quiet little ranger. Don’t need you figuring anything out and spoiling our plans,” Scorpina sang joyously.

“Do it.” Rita commanded coldly as if ice was dripping from her lips.

Upon the order, Trini saw as Scorpina twirled the blue ranger around and pierced the ranger’s body. A wicked laugh erupted as Billy became limp and fell to the ground upon removal of the weapon. A gut churning scream erupted from Kim as Trini glanced to see Zach coughed up blood as Goldar’s blade was plunged through the black ranger’s back. This couldn’t be happening.

“Zach! Billy! No!” Trini attempted to move toward her friend as putties clasped their harsh hands around Trini, reining her in place.

Nausea flooded Trini as sound erupted around them, putties grabbing the remaining rangers and holding them tightly. Rita dropped Tommy to the ground as she looked at the power coin, “My experiment to drain the ranger’s power through this coin worked perfectly. Now, time to finish the rest of these pathetic teenagers.”

“No! Let go of me! Billy!” Trini fought within the putties grasp, but she felt her body continue to weaken from the shock of events. She saw Jason and Kimberly fight just as vainly and the sounds of the enemy cackling filled her ears as she felt hopeless. This was it. This was going to be the end of them. Trini always feared the possibility of their deaths. They were too careless. Trini should have spoken up but it was no use.

“I’ll have to thank him for arranging this transaction,” Rita muttered.

“I won’t let you!” Trini saw Tommy jolt up as he charged into Goldar, knocking down the golden demon. Reflecting on the moment, Trini was grateful for Tommy’s quick reflexes and instincts. Tommy hauled the sword Goldar had dropped, swung at Rita and in the sudden confusion, was able to retrieve his coin as he morphed back into the green ranger.

In the flash of a few moments, Tommy had freed Kimberly, Jason and herself and as they were being teleported out of the seemingly easy-laid trap. All Trini could focus on were the lifeless body of Zach and Billy. Rita’s laughter haunted Trini as the scene faded to black.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been stewing on the details of this, and it turned out to be much shorter than I originally conceived. Yeah... that happened. I was not sure where or when I wanted to include this. However, since the idea has been bored into my mind, I wanted to get it out. I wanted to keep it separate because the Burdens series is set around Adam and Rocky's story. Obviously, other important factors and events happen around the boys' story and those stories will be shared as I continue writing the series. Feel free to comment with any questions you may have!


End file.
